1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of digital video data processing. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of decoders for decoding digital video data.
2. Related Art
The advent of fast and powerful electronic circuits has enabled the development of digital video systems (e.g., digital cameras, digital VCR's, etc.). These digital video systems offer high resolution and high quality recorded images, surpassing the resolution and quality provided by analog video systems (e.g., analog cameras, analog VCR's, etc.). Moreover, the digital video systems include digital video data as well as digital audio data, raising the entertainment experience of the user. Since digital video systems manipulate digital data, the original recorded images stored in the digital format of digital video systems do not suffer the deterioration in quality observed with the original recorded images stored in the analog format of analog video systems.
Some digital video systems have been integrated into a computer system, allowing a user to edit and to view digital video data and digital audio data. Other digital video systems have been designed to communicate and to transfer digital data (e.g., digital video data and digital audio data) to a computer system, permitting the user to exchange or to view the digital data.
A popular digital video system stores digital video data which is formatted as specified in a specification entitled, “The Specification of Consumer Use Digital VCR's using 6.3 mm Magnetic Tape”, (HD Video Conference, December, 1994). This specification is commonly known as the DV standard. The DV standard is a compressed digital video data and digital audio data recording standard. A DV digital video system uses a ¼ inch (6.35 mm) metal evaporate tape to record very high quality digital video data. Alternatively, a DV digital video system can record by transmitting to a memory device (e.g., hard drive, RAM, ROM, etc.) very high quality digital video data and digital audio data for storing therein. Both consumers and professionals use DV digital video systems.
To play the digital video data which is formatted according to the DV standard, the DV digital video system includes a DV video decoder for processing the digital video data into a format which can be displayed on an electronic display device. Since the DV video decoder processes the digital video data in real-time, speed and performance are crucial characteristics of the DV decoder. Generally, speed and performance are achieved at great cost. Hardware and software specifically designed for the DV video decoder can price the DV digital video system out of reach of the average consumer. Typically, off-the-shelve hardware and software adapted for the DV video decoder does not provide the speed and performance necessary for a DV digital video system. Some equipment manufactures have designed general-purpose components to provide a software solution for manufacturing low cost consumer digital video decoders.